As the science of stem cell medicine continues to advance, education and objective information about cord blood banking is more important than ever.

Public and physician education around stem cells and cord blood banking is woefully inadequate. Many do not know what options are available to them, public or family banking. The Institute of Medicine and cord blood legislation in approximately 20 states call for Ob-GYNs to educate expecting families on the options for their newborn’s cord blood stem cells. Leaders in stem cell science, such as ViaCord, have a responsibility to bridge this gap by working with OB/GYNs who are the best source of information on cord blood banking. Moreover, education is a collective job for the entire industry, including family banks, public banks, research institutions and the medical community.

When considering options for your newborn’s cord blood, it’s important to understand the following:

• Transplants using cord blood from a family member are proven to be significantly more successful (higher survival rate) than transplants using cord blood from a non-relative.[1] Family banking provides another potential source of related stem cells.
• The use of autologous (using one’s own) cord blood stem cells are being studied in regenerative medicine trials, including cerebral palsy and Type-1 Diabetes. Family banking provides access to these regenerative medicine trials.
• 1 in every 1700 people will need a stem cell transplant by age 20 and 1 in 217 people by age 70.[2] The source of these stem cell transplants is either bone marrow, peripheral blood or cord blood. However, cord blood is the fastest growing source of stem cells for transplantation.

To date, we’ve provided 183 families access to a related source of stem cells. Our transplant list provides information about each unit and contains a complete list of conditions and donor relationships. I encourage you to read our cord blood banking history.

To learn more, consult a qualified medical professional, such as your OB/GYN, stay informed by reading the latest research, and spend time on our website.

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